Dangerous Temptations
by my-threesome
Summary: She was a new recruit to the Tokyo Police Department, and he was the local troublemaker. Sakura could admit she was captivated by Sasuke Uchiha, but the closer she got to him, the more dangerous he became. AU SasuSaku/GaaSaku.
1. Escort Duty

**This multi-chapter is a work in progress but I wanted to see if it was worth going ahead with it anyway. I don't know how long it will go for, but I do know how it will end. It's the getting there that is the fuzzy part. **

**This is AU but not OOC. At least, not on purpose. It also has heavy influence from Japanese law enforcement, considering Sakura is a part of it. **

**Disclaimer: This is going to be the only one. It goes without saying that no-one on this site really owns anything.**

**Dangerous Temptations**

**.:. -/ \- .:..**

**Escort Duty**

She wasn't crying over the grave; the pinkette was alone, kneeling in front of the stone monument erected above the crypt that held the remains of her family; her withdrawn eyes glazing instead over the silent graveyard instead however. Sakura Haruno had lost everyone dear to her by the time she'd turned eight years old, and had moved from foster home to foster home for the next ten years after that. No-one had wanted her, no-one cared; she was a wild, disobedient blob of pink in a sea of smiling, lovable children, complete with happy smiles.

She was never happy growing up.

But Sakura Haruno's difference to other kids didn't end there. She was a medical genius. By the time she was ready for university she had already commenced her medical studies and was at the top of her class. Yet as much as she enjoyed it, it never gave her that sense of satisfaction she'd always dreamed of, during those lonely years growing up; the child who'd spent hours analysing everything and everyone around her had lost her will to care about people.

And, it was after she became an adult that Sakura finally found the family she could love. A best friend, a father figure, a sister, a brother and surrogate mother; they were her world. Naruto Uzumaki, her best friend, had cunningly enticed her into trying out for the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. She was tougher than most girls her age, growing up, and now as an adult, she kept that gruff exterior up.

'_Don't cry, don't cry; __please__ don't let me cry,' _she thought, furious at the weakness of her resolve.

Sakura didn't want to look at the stone monument, knowing the meticulously carved names of her parents would be staring back at her and she wouldn't be able to stop the tears from falling. She had strong memories of them, even after the last fourteen years since their deaths. Taro and Hanako Haruno had owned a chain of flower shops that once belonged to drug dealers before all the dealers were sent away for consecutive life sentences for murder.

It had nothing to do with the deaths of Sakura's parents, funnily enough. They had died in a car crash; she remembered the screeching of the tyres, the screaming in her head, but nothing more. At least she remembered her parents happy.

Sakura let her eyes stray to the flowers, incense, and water displayed at the foot of the stone monument. Every week, her friend, Ino Yamanaka, who was more like a sister, brought this all here. She knew that Sakura didn't frequent the grave of her parents, and it would otherwise go neglected. The pinkette thought dimly that there was supposed to be some kind of groundskeeper or something (she wasn't sure what they were called) that was supposed to do this, so the blond was wasting her time.

But this time was different. It was the anniversary; the only time the pinkette came here.

'_Don't cry, don't cry; __please__ don't let me cry.'_

Sakura's eyes flickered over the engraved stone before she could stop herself, and she fought back a sob. It had been fourteen years, and she was twenty-two now, but still couldn't stop herself from crying. Naruto called her a basket case when he'd finally managed to wrangle the truth out of her, though she was pretty sure he meant it in an affectionate way. She ignored the gripping pain in her chest and climbed to her feet. She was late for work, and her boss was supposed to be doing personnel evaluations today. The last thing she needed right now was to piss off another shamelessly pervy old man.

**.:. -/ \- .:.**

The room was dimly lit, the curtains drawn across the window and heavy. The only light came from the cracks between where the dark drapes didn't quite make it to the window frame. The apartment was large, a penthouse and the only one on this level. That was what it meant to be an Uchiha; Sasuke had his own penthouse, a maid, a cook and lived here rent free.

That wasn't to say that he just took his father's money and did nothing all day. He had obligations, despite his normally rambunctious behaviour. Fugaku Uchiha didn't let him live here free, even though he never paid a single yen. He worked in his father's company; Uchiha Industries. It sounded more flashy then it really was. Fugaku had built the company up from the business that old Oniri Uchiha Ojī-san (grandfather) had driven into the ground. Bankruptcy was avoided, and Fugaku Uchiha became a multi-millionaire overnight. How? Sasuke didn't know, but he was fairly sure that the current regime, which included blackmail, corruption, and overseas, black market merchandise was a hint.

He wasn't even sure Itachi knew the depths to which Fugaku had plummeted to bring the company into the light, so to speak. Not that it mattered.

Sasuke stretched, kicked out with his leg to hit the sleeping figure next to him. He wasn't normally the violent type when it came to women, just with the ones who were after him for his family inheritance. And they always seemed to be. The Uchiha name demanded authority and respect, but its underhanded dealings were what _enforced_ it. They had their share of moles within the law enforcement of Tokyo after all. Corruption was everywhere in this city these days. But this didn't bother the raven haired man, who took the moaning from his night time "companion" as a hint to push her again.

When all she did was roll away from him, Sasuke sat up, not bothering to cover himself up, as he was still naked and gave the brunette haired girl a violent shove that not only sent her toppling over the edge to the floor below, but took the top cover bed sheet with her. He hadn't put any blankets on the bed the night before because of the damn _heat_ of this summer wave, so there was nothing left to cover him with. Not that he cared.

"Get up and get out of my apartment," he growled at the woman as she climbed groggily to her feet.

Her name was Suki Kazuhina, the oldest daughter of the most valued client of Uchiha Industries. She was used to his rough treatment, yawned obnoxiously at him, left the bed sheet on the floor and walked, stark naked toward where she'd seen her clothes fall. Sasuke had flung them over his shoulder so precisely that they had landed in the exact same place as the last time.

Suki dressed languidly, poked tongue at him, said, "later cutie", and left his apartment before he had even had the chance to get out of bed.

Sasuke just shook his head. He was getting so bored with these women. His phone rang and he fumbled around on the floor, looking for his jeans and found the stupid thing on the sixth ring.

"What?" He snapped, knowing from the number that it was his brother on the other end of the line.

"Not nice Sasuke," Itachi's voice came through serious, but the cheek was implied. "Father wants you to meet him at the Keishichō in the next ten minutes. No complaints this time."

Keishichō was the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, the main building for the headquarters in the Kasumigaseki part of central Tokyo.

"Why?" Sasuke snapped.

He hated cops. He hated everything to do with the law and those who enforced it. His father was undermining it more and more with everyday, so he didn't trust the Superintendent General any more than he trusted Fugaku.

"Because dad's on the war path; it seems Gaara Sabaku made good on his threat and is suing us. You're in deep shit. The Superintendent General is insisting you go down there and explain yourself before they string you up." Itachi chuckled. "Just do it little otouto."

He hung up and Sasuke growled. Gaara Sabaku was the youngest son of Fugaku Uchiha's business rival, Hameru Sabaku. His was the only large scale enterprise in Tokyo that had survived the Uchiha rise to power completely unscathed. But while Uchiha Industries was a fake diamond, hiding its imperfections in high society, Sabaku Incorporated was instead a gang-like business with no desire to be printed on any kind of magazine cover. They were what one might call the "mob" of the Tokyo underground.

But despite their vulgar ways, they were just as powerful, influential, and wealthy as the Uchiha family.

Sasuke _hated_ them.

That was how he'd found himself attacking the red head a few days ago. Gaara frequented a night club where Sasuke had been kicked out of for unruly behaviour, but the raven haired man couldn't resist the temptation, once he'd drunk too much of course, to follow him in and proceed to beat the crap out of him. It didn't go down as well as it would have if he hadn't been drunk. Gaara was not a man to be taken down so easily. The only person that scared Sasuke more was his father. Not that he'd admit that out loud.

Realising he was kneeling on the floor, in front of his discarded denim jeans, Sasuke groaned and climbed to his feet. He kept thinking about all the things the red head might do to him if he got him alone. The temptation to attack him had been too strong, and he was going to pay for it. And then there was the fact that when Sasuke entered the doors to the police department, his _father_ would be waiting for him. This was a sully on the Uchiha name after all.

**.:. -/ \- .:.**

Sakura was waiting on Naruto, typically, but at least the blond _baka_ had a good excuse this time. He was in the office of the Superintendent General, but for once, wasn't the one in trouble. Apparently, one of those stupid Uchiha had done something to piss off the Sabaku and just mentally picturing the coals they would be raked over made Sakura grin wickedly.

She was no fan of the Uchiha obviously, and the last time she had run into Gaara Sabaku while out of uniform, she'd been pressed up against the wall in that night club of his, his hands all over her. She was a police officer, and his family was trouble, but all that aside, he was _extremely_ good looking and fuck he was good in bed. That terminology wasn't entirely accurate, as she'd only banged him in an upright position, in a public place, but whatever.

She was a university graduate, so her rigorous training in the Metropolitan Police Department Academy was reduced from one year to six months, ending the same time as Naruto's. He had studied psychology so he was also qualified for the reduced training times.

This was how both training and promotion opportunities were determined in Japan.

They were partnered immediately, and managed to avoid the Koban assignment that resulted from the completion of basic training for most new police officers. The Koban system referred to substations – both Sakura and Naruto had baulked at the idea of belonging to some kind of foot patrol; their relief from this might have had something to do with their respective graduate degrees, but Sakura never asked. Or it was the fact that the Superintendent General for the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department was a strange old man who had become a father figure for her. Jiraiya was referred to as keishi-sokan around the prefectural police force, which was the general term for law enforcement officers.

And just like Kakashi Hatake, who treated her like she was his little sister, Jiraiya's past times were on the crude side. He loved the ladies, and for some strange reason, they loved him too. It made her shiver just thinking about it. The pinkette gazed dreamily at the door to the Superintendent General's office, sitting against her own desk and playing absentmindedly with the top button on her shirt. She wore the shirt and trousers typical of the uniform. Jiraiya had been trying to get the uniform changed again, wanting to put female officers in skirts, as it had used to be, but was failing. The people in charge knew he only wanted to perv on his better officers anyway.

Naruto exited Jiraiya's office alone a few minutes later and closed the door behind him.

"What's going on?" Sakura asked.

He strolled over to her and threw his right arm around her shoulder. "Justice, what else?"

She groaned. "You know what I mean, idiot."

Naruto chuckled, a cheesy grin spreading over his face. "Oh just another reason for the Uchiha and Sabaku to kill each other. You and I have the _privilege_ of escorting Mr Sasuke Uchiha back home where he will remain under constant watch until his arraignment."

"This is going to trial?"

Naruto shrugged his shoulders. "You know how this works for the Uchiha and Sabaku families. He'll get a tap on the wrist, _escorted_ back onto the streets like some V.I.P, and let loose to begin the cycle all over again."

Despite his calm demeanour, Sakura knew he was furious. Once upon a time, Sasuke had been a good friend, but they went their separate ways when the Uchiha seduced the blond's girlfriend. He wasn't the loyal type apparently. Sakura squeezed his torso affectionately.

Solving crimes through brute force was Naruto's passion, but the appeal for the pinkette lay in the forensic science. It wasn't the medicine she had been expecting, but it put her skills to use, while getting to "kick ass" as Naruto had put it. He would tease her often that her decision to become a cop was just about her love of strapping on a gun. At least for her, it wasn't compensating for anything. Naruto never took it personally when she said this, because she'd told him this so often he'd gone numb.

"What did the Uchiha do this time?" She asked inattentively.

"The usual," Naruto said. "And in a night club he'd been banned from."

Sakura scoffed. "Idiot."

The blond laughed.

"When do we leave?"

"When they do."

Sakura pulled away from him. "Do we go armed?"

Naruto nodded. "Not that it's necessary, but its protocol, you know this."

The pinkette shrugged her shoulders. "Sure."

She collected her holster and threw on the stab vest, and duty belt, leaving the waterproof jacket behind. It was extremely hot outside right now after all. Naruto, forgetting for a moment he was supposed to join her, took longer to gather his gear. Over the decades, the uniform for the Tokyo Police Department had undergone many changes, and right now, the female and male uniforms were practically identical.

It wasn't long before they had company. In the forefront of the hustle and bustle of the precinct, Jiraiya was guiding the youngest son of Fugaku Uchiha without touching him. He wasn't bound of course, and his father stood behind and away from him, a look of utter disdain on his face. Sakura kept her eyes away from his, but in her peripheral, she watched the way his dark eyes surveyed his son; all manner of disappointment and distaste frowning his face.

She had seen him look at Sasuke that way before, the last time the youngest Uchiha had been escorted away from Keishichō because of some ridiculous stunt he'd pulled. Sakura wondered briefly if that was why he did it. Perhaps it was a way of attracting his father's attention, when the man clearly didn't care to even look at him otherwise. She mentally shook herself as they drew level with Sakura and Naruto.

"I leave him in your very capable hands Officer Haruno," Jiraiya said to her, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly when Naruto pouted.

He had done that on purpose. While the old man was like a father to Sakura, he was actually Naruto's godfather. They were both orphans, and the perv had helped to raise the blond. It was no surprise then that Naruto was a bit of a perv himself, but nowhere near as bad as either Jiraiya or Kakashi. His influence had only been diluted by the presence of Tsunade Senju, a very astute doctor who Jiraiya had married years ago. She was the motherly type, to both Naruto and Sakura. It confused the pinkette constantly how she could put up with Jiraiya for so long, but she supposed, that was love.

Sakura ignored Naruto's silent whinnying, and moved to direct Sasuke without touching him, as Jiraiya had done. She refused to meet the raven haired man's intense stare as he worked her over with his eyes, but kept him in her peripheral all the same. Fugaku departed from the group as they exited the headquarters building, but left with a final demand for his son's escorts.

"Make sure he actually gets home this time."

He was gone before Sakura realised what he'd meant. Last time, he'd been dropped off but no-one saw him go inside and instead of doing what he was told, he'd headed off to some sleazy strip bar instead. Well, he was out of luck this time. There were no bars or pubs or even liquor stores open yet. It was still early in the morning.

"This way Uchiha," Naruto said gruffly, leading the way.

The Toyota Crown was the car of interest for the blond as he ran his eyes over the parking lot. Sakura rolled her eyes: men and their car obsession. She gripped Sasuke's elbow roughly, now that papa Uchiha was gone and he immediately complained.

"Shut it," Naruto said, without looking to see what the problem was.

"I suppose this is some sort of triumphant moment for you _Uzumaki_," Sasuke said pompously.

"Yes, it is."

Sakura chuckled softly and Sasuke glanced at her. She was surprised when he raised his eyebrows at her, losing the expression of disdain he'd given Naruto. He looked instead like he wanted to ravage her.

"You still hanging out with this loser Haruno?" He asked. "How about when he drops us off you come spend some time with me?"

Naruto froze in the middle of opening the door to the back seat of his chose sedan. He glanced at Sakura, noting the furious look on the pinkette's face. She was hiding the blush well, after all, Sasuke Uchiha was very hot and she knew it, but there was a stronger emotion running through her right now. This was not the day to be fucking with her. She had spent over an hour staring at a stone monument instead of her parents, and had had to wait for half an hour after the tears stopped before she looked presentable enough to finally go into work. This day, fourteen years ago, she'd lost everything. Sakura was as a result, feeling particularly aggravated today. Naruto knew why she was excessively angry. She slammed Sasuke into the side of the sedan and cuffed his hands behind his back.

"What the fuck are you doing?" He half screamed.

"She's getting her payback," Naruto said, and climbed into the driver's seat.

Sakura stepped away from the raven haired man, and threw him into the back seat, slamming the door shut. She strode around, climbed into the front, in the passenger, and ignored the dignified ranting of her "prisoner". He was an Uchiha, and she didn't have the right to cuff him – that kind of thing. She knew she would pay for this later, but didn't care. He was an arrogant asshole. She avoided Naruto's glances as well and the drive went smoothly.

When it came time to uncuff the Uchiha, she was worried. People would see her doing this and wonder why he was handcuffed in the first place. Her anger had dissipated, and she was left with a burning worry. During the entire car ride, he'd stared at her and she would occasionally glance back at him in the rear view mirror. His eyes were penetrating her, looking into her, and making her tremble. Why was he looking at her like that? He'd never spoken two words to her before now, even when they accidentally bumped into each other in the precinct the last time he was "escorted" out of there.

But the way he was looking at her made her feel like she was naked. He was undressing her with his eyes, that was it.

Sakura sighed, grabbing him roughly and he spun around to look at her, not giving her the opportunity to unshackle him. What was he up to? Everyone knew about Sasuke Uchiha. He was a playboy, a troublemaker, and the second son of the most powerful business man in all of Tokyo. He was also staring at her casually, a mixture of cheekiness and fascination on his face. And then quite suddenly, his expression shifted, and he looked like he wanted to ravish her again. She felt a chill of fear run up her spine when those lips twisted into the sexiest smirk she'd ever seen in her life. The pinkette swallowed heavily and Sasuke Uchiha tugged on the handcuffs expectantly.

"My offer still stands," he said smugly. "I have a pair of cuffs in my penthouse you can use to tie me to my bed."

The fear now clenching her fists turned to rage and, abandoning all self control, she smirked back at him. The smug look on his face disappeared immediately when she drew her hand back and slapped him, hard across the face.

**.:. -/ \- .:.**

**+/_\+**


	2. Babysitting

**While I was trying not to make the characters so OOC that I barely recognise them, a little deviation has become necessary for the story. There are also drug use and references from this point on, and this fic is a mixture between Japanese law enforcement and corruption. I wanted also to say thank you to all those reviewed and apologies for updating so late. I was pleasantly surprised to get as many reviews as I did. It may not be many compared to some fics out there, but for me it was a lot. Thank you.**

**Dangerous Temptations**

**.:. -/ \- .:..**

**Babysitting**

The slap was surprising. Sasuke Uchiha had never been slapped before, at least not by anyone but his mother. The stinging sensation reminded him of a chastised child and once the shock wore off, he stared at the pinkette heatedly. Half of him was infuriated while the other half was completely and utterly turned on. He couldn't help it; his kinky side was to blame for that little _jolt_ in his nether regions. It had never occurred to him, even once, that he might _like_ to be slapped. This was more than a new experience for him, it was also an eye opener; one he fully intended on taking advantage of again.

So this was how Sasuke found himself torn between either berating or congratulating Officer Haruno for her ingenuity. She was currently staring at her hand, her mouth slightly agape; this was a sight he wanted to see again. She was pissed off at him, but to _slap_ him? She had definitely lost her mind.

And Sakura Haruno felt like strangling _someone_. Okay, Sasuke was hot, but he was also demeaning, arrogant and… and, she couldn't think of anything else to describe him. Her mind went blank after that. She stared at him, the way he just stared at her as Naruto Uzumaki, her partner, took her keys off of her, and unshackled his hands. She had just slapped _the_ Sasuke Uchiha. _She_ had just slapped him! Everyone who knew her knew she had a temper, but she'd never _slapped_ someone in her custody, not for coming onto her anyway. She knew restraint when dealing with unruly criminals. They drummed it into her at the Metropolitan Police Department Academy, so where was her professional etiquette this time?

Sasuke started to smirk as Naruto cleared his throat, trying to grab the pinkette's attention. People nearby were starting to stare. She looked away from him now, embarrassed but still stunned by her own actions. Sasuke decided to prod her again, to see if she would respond.

"Was it good for you too?" He asked.

This shocked Sakura out of her stunned statue routine. He watched her face fall, shift and twist back into anger. But unfortunately, Naruto grabbed her hand before she could slap Sasuke again.

"Come on Sakura," Naruto said softly. "We have a job to do."

She nodded haughtily, accepting that this round went to the Uchiha. But she would get him next time, perhaps when there wasn't a gathering crowd both curious and confused by what they'd just witnessed. Perhaps she'd get a few pointers from the Sabaku family on what buttons to push to piss of the Uchiha, since clearly, Sasuke valued attempting to kill one of them over his _own_ life. If he truly thought they were just going to lie down and take what he'd done, he really _was_ as stupid as he acted. She didn't know Gaara very well, but was sure he'd jump at the chance to piss Sasuke off. She made a mental note to visit that night club of his the next time she had the night off. Today and tonight were going to be long and dreary guard duty assignments _babysitting_ an obnoxious Uchiha. It pissed her off, but she was used to these assignments from her training. She excelled in this… normally.

Naruto man-handled Sasuke, surprised when the raven haired man didn't complain, and they filed into the apartment building, heading toward the elevators.

"You can let go of me now Uzumaki," Sasuke said, once they were out of sight of the crowd. "I know where my apartment is. Fuck off."

"Sorry," Naruto said disingenuously, "I'm only doing what your dear father told us to do,_ jukeisha_."

"Hn."

But the blond pushed him regardless, not wanting to miss the opportunity to savour this moment. Sakura followed silently as Naruto refused to let Sasuke out of his sight. They took the elevator and the pinkette avoided eye contact with the Uchiha. But he kept glancing at her, ignoring the growling from the over protective blond standing between them. She could see his attention in her peripheral vision. Anger had completely let him and he was debating now, on the best way to get her alone, preferably in his apartment. But she wasn't easy, at least not for _him_. He didn't care what he had to do, as long as he could fuck her. And what the hell, he had nothing better to do right now.

But he needed to approach this differently.

Sasuke didn't give Naruto a chance to pull him out of the elevator and exited the moment the doors opened, striding away from his police escort as they angrily ran to catch up. He liked the control, the feeling that others were waiting on him, or in this case, following his lead. Sakura walked behind Naruto, keeping her distance, and the raven haired man glanced at her as they neared his apartment. His eyes narrowed on her and a visible blush tinted her cheeks. So she flushed under scrutiny?

"Out of it Uchiha," Naruto said, pushing him aside.

Sasuke growled and opened his apartment door. The pinkette glanced past the door, her eyes taking in the floor, the immediate living area, and the glass walls that doubled as the window. It was extremely spacious and well decorated. She had only seen a place this lavish in catalogues or on television. Needless to say she was impressed. Sakura struggled not to show Sasuke how much she liked his apartment as he smirked at her. Naruto however, just groaned at the unspoken appraisal as he informed the Uchiha of their duty and the roster they had planned. They would be watching from street level and he was forbidden from leaving his apartment building until they came to get him for his arraignment.

Boring shop talk.

And once the blond had finished talking, Sasuke threw out a hand to stop Naruto from slamming the door. He only slowed its closing long enough to lock eyes with the pinkette; there was no smirk on his face, no hint that he was joking or flirting. He spoke softly, but evenly to her, just before the door closed in his face.

"See you soon, my little _kiti neko_."

**.:. -/ \- .:.**

The smell of lingering smoke went unnoticed, the stink of burning herbs went ignored, and the pacing figure cared only about one thing: _killing_ Sasuke Uchiha. A casual arraignment set up just for show was more than the _fucker_ deserved. He could think of no person more fit to be gunned down in the middle of a busy Tokyo street. The twisted, youngest son of Fugaku Uchiha had it coming. And it was amidst his musings that he hoped to figure out how to make it happen. He had been publically accosted and humiliated, and there was no justice. It shouldn't have gone down this way; he was Gaara Sabaku, he was _better_ than the Uchiha, and everyone knew that that family was just a group of no hope circus clowns.

Gaara stopped pacing and looked up from the floor. A high window showed him that he was in a basement, and not on the ground floor of this building, like he was supposed to be. His siblings were waiting for him to calm down before approaching him. How were they supposed to know when he was composed enough that he wouldn't _skewer_ the pair of them for coming anywhere near him? When he left this basement, they would know.

He grabbed a nearby, worthless ceramic statue and threw it at the wall.

"Fucking Uchiha!"

He didn't _want_ to calm down! If he hadn't been trained in more martial arts than that Uchiha even knew existed, he might be dead now! And if the _freak_ hadn't been drunk, he might've avoided every blow instead of just most. People who drank excessively were the ones who deserved to be publically humiliated! That was his favourite night club for fuck sake! How was he ever supposed to show his face there again? There was no going back there until people forgot that stupid stunt the idiot had made, and considering it had been an _Uchiha_, that wasn't liable to happen anytime soon.

Gaara clenched his fists, imagining what that raven haired _prick_ would look like, his eyes bludging out of their sockets as the red head _slowly_ squeezed the life out of him. It made him happy, but the feeling didn't last. Renewed images only prolonged his repose. He sighed and stared down at his hands: at the hands he'd just imagined committing murder. The Uchiha wasn't worth risking going to jail for, and even in those moments before the drunken idiot had thrown the first punch he'd known this. He wasn't worth _anything_. Gaara sighed deeply again, pulling out a pack of cigarettes to calm his nerves. He had refilled the pack with both nicotine and weed so had to stop and decide which he wanted.

_Weed_.

A few minutes later, he was sitting on a long chair languidly, his legs up on a small table and staring up and out the high window as though all his problems were miles away. He just had to figure out a way to keep the Uchiha out of his hair for the next few days and this latest shipment would go out on schedule. All the attention from being rivals with one of the biggest, most pompous Uchiha's in living memory was not good for business anymore than it was for his _reputation_. The youngest Sabaku and the youngest Uchiha had always been at each other's throats, since they were both toddlers and the first time Fugaku Uchiha had insulted Hameru Sabaku. Gaara realised they'd inherited their respective father's hatred and that there had not been any other reason to start fights with each other. But he also knew that that in and of itself was just excuse.

'_I'd hate the little fucker anyway.'_

Interrupting his thoughts, his _thoughtless_ siblings had decided to check up on him anyway. He hadn't thrown anything against the wall in about fifteen minutes, so they figured it was safe to see if he hadn't smoked himself to _death_. Gaara didn't react to their presence however, preferring to pretend the blank wall was more interesting, which it was, really. They very rarely had anything to say that was of interest to him.

"Put that shit out," Kankuro said sourly. "The air in here is making me nauseous."

"Hypocrite," Temari said, giggling. "So who was it that was smoking and sulking down here last night when Matsuri told him he was a dumb fuck and a bad lay?"

Kankuro groaned. His girlfriend was pissing him off. Firstly, she tried to crack onto Gaara, and when he would have none of that, she decided to insult Temari's weight. The blond had had to be restrained to keep her from attacking the brunette. Finally, Matsuri started mumbling another man's name while mid coitus with the oldest Sabaku brother and instead of apologising to Kankuro, promptly reverted to the teenage brat who had scribbled obscenities on his Mercedes.

But he wouldn't leave her, and Temari's patience was nearing breaking point. She'd already looked up some of her old friends who still owed her favours; they knew some top quality hit men. She'd ask Gaara to do it, but the red head didn't care what Matsuri said and did to Kankuro. The blond decided on another tactic, thinking she could take advantage of Gaara's hatred for the youngest Uchiha and set Matsuri up in a situation where she'd be all over Sasuke, and her little brother would be more than happy to throttle the little _slut_.

"Have you calmed down yet?" Temari asked, earning herself a death glare. "I'll take that as a yes."

Really, if he was still as angry, she'd have gotten either no response or another worthless trinket thrown in her direction. He really needed to go back to the family therapist. But despite the annoyance radiating off of him, she could tell he was no longer in a violent mood at least. He was so easy to read, though most people had trouble with that strange young man. She smiled slightly, indicating to the hydroponics under the orange LED lights. They weren't cultivating an entire crop, but it was all the same strain of plants.

"Are you going to finish what you started?"

Gaara glanced at the marijuana and shrugged. He was more interested in his less than cohesive thoughts on how to exact revenge on one Sasuke Uchiha. But he knew that once he'd come down from his high that the hydroponics would again take centre stage. He just wanted to go with the flow right now. It was better than getting angrier and angrier, right?

Temari sighed. "Well anyway, the sun is going down and we think it's about time you bought out that flower shop, don't you?"

Kankuro nodded enthusiastically to his brother. "Yeah, that agent won't deal with me or Temari anymore."

The property manager for the flower shop Temari had mentioned had a crush on Gaara and she wanted to make the deal with him specifically. Still, _he_ would be the one paying for it, so it was a good enough reason. Gaara sat up slowly, thinking. The woman was new to the company and in her late twenties: he had never fucked a woman based solely on her age, but she wasn't appealing. Her body just didn't do anything for him.

'_Speaking of which, I need to get laid.'_

Temari narrowed her eyes at her youngest brother. "You planning something?"

Gaara ignored her, his thoughts moving to Sasuke Uchiha again. Yes, he was planning something. What kind of question was that? That prick was going to pay for his humiliation, and suddenly, with the smell of marijuana and smoke clogging up his more useful senses, he realised he had the best instrument for his revenge right in front of him.

**.:. -/ \- .:.**

"Wake me up when the sun comes up," Sakura joked, knowing Naruto would actually be waking her up at midnight.

The day had passed with Naruto watching for a few hours, while Sakura had returned to headquarters only to return later to relieve the blond. They'd been alternating all day while trying to get Jiraiya to assign another team to replace them for the night shift, or at least rotate shifts with them. But with the personnel evaluations being done today and the number of officers off sick, they were stuck being the only Uchiha babysitters. Sakura promised herself to demand a pay rise later, even though she knew she wouldn't get it. She'd been putting in a lot of overtime lately and it showed, especially with her lack of professionalism today, when it came to Sasuke Uchiha. Today was also a horrible reminder of everything in life she'd lost.

Her best friend just rolled his eyes at her and pretended to be upset, making her giggle softly.

There had to be one person awake at all times, and Naruto had offered to take the first watch. Technically, this _was_ a stake out, and although the idea of sitting in the Toyota Crown all night didn't exactly make him happy, Naruto loved this part of the job. He preferred the scenario that had him in an apartment across the road using binoculars to watch rather than trying to find a comfortable position in a car seat to settle in for the next eight hours. Sakura however, could sleep _anywhere_. She turned the heater on and shifted to let her head rest against the head rest of her seat. It was easy; she just imagined the most _boring_ thing possible and was out like a light.

But whatever she dreamt about was quickly extinguished when Naruto woke her hours later and through her groggy vision, she noted it was a few minutes after midnight. The blond crawled into the back seat to get more comfortable and Sakura chastised him. He wasn't supposed to do that.

"Give me a break Sakura," he said in a whinny voice. "I can't get to sleep in an upright position, you know."

She rolled her eyes. "Alright, you baby."

Sakura waited for his breathing to deepen, indicating he was asleep, before lifting the binoculars to her eyes. She would much have preferred to rest in her own bed instead of the front seat of the Toyota Crown, but the temptation to stare through Sasuke Uchiha's apartment window (the entire perimeter seemed to be made of glass and steel), especially when she noticed something. What was he up to? Sakura watched as the light in Sasuke's apartment came on, glancing at the time and wondering what he was doing up at one o'clock in the morning. Surely he wasn't going to try to sneak out and go back to that club? Sakura glanced back at Naruto, wondering if she should wake him. But she wasn't a child who couldn't handle one lousy Uchiha.

Her heart started to pound in her chest, but not from fear. It was reminding her that Sasuke was clearly attracted to her, and that the attraction was mutual. Going up there alone wasn't the smartest idea she had ever come up with. Naruto certainly wouldn't let her do this. But there was an itching inside her, making her fidget. She needed to see what that… _person_ was up to.

She used the binoculars to zoom in on his apartment window. There was movement, that much was certain. The curtains were only drawn part way and she could make out that unmistakeable outline; that figure was definitely Sasuke Uchiha. She would recognise it anywhere. She wasn't some kind of pervert, but his body demanded some kind of ogling, fan girl or not. If he wasn't such a difficult personality, she was sure he'd be even more popular. As it was, he had his own exclusive line of classy whores that rumour had it were more like a harem.

Sakura wouldn't put it past him to treat the women like they were just sex toys, and had no intention of Sasuke acting on that comment he'd made to her.

"_See you soon, my little kiti neko."_

She sighed. No _way_ was she going to head into the apartment building and go up to see him. She glanced at Naruto again. Would he wake up if she left quietly? What were the chances that he'd wake to find her gone? Then how would she explain her absence?

'_What the hell am I thinking?'_

Her thoughts were all over the place. But more movement on the other side of glass separating Sasuke's apartment from the outside world made Sakura want to go up there. He was supposed to turn the light on and come to the window if he needed anything; at least anything to do with their job to keep an eye on him. Sakura sighed again, and left the binoculars behind in the car as she left Naruto alone and asleep. She should have woken him up, as they were supposed to, but she didn't want to have a conversation with the blond about _why_ she'd felt the need to head up there alone.

So that was why Sakura found herself flashing her badge to the security guard (despite her uniform) and waved to the bellboy before taking the elevator up to the penthouse level. Her nerves were undoing her, even though she was coming up for a professional matter. Still, that deep sensual voice that she'd only heard similarly once before, had her confused. She didn't want to turn this into something more than her duty to check up on him, but just remembering the way he had looked at her was making this difficult for her.

What could he possibly want at this ungodly hour?

Sakura stepped out of the elevator with trepidation, making her way down the hallway as quietly as she could, a sudden fear twisting her stomach. She stood outside his room, her eyes on the crack underneath the door; there was still a light on inside and from the sounds of things, Sasuke was definitely moving about inside there. She swallowed heavily, her head snapping upward at the sound of a strangled groan. And on the other side of the door, she could also hear the breaking of glass; there was someone else in the room with the Uchiha.

**.:. -/ \- .:.**

**+/_\+**

jukeisha: "convict". Used as a title for criminals and the accused. It has become considered a derogatory term. It can be used on its own or attached to a person's name.

kiti neko: "kitty cat"


	3. Taking the Blame

**This chapter is a little shorter than usual but took me longer to be satisfied enough to post it, which is the reason for the late update. I'm still not completely happy, and this first scene feels rushed, but it is just a stepping stone to a larger aspect of this story. **

**Dangerous Temptations**

**.:. -/ \- .:..**

**Taking the Blame**

Sasuke Uchiha knew Naruto Uzumaki, perhaps better than the baka knew himself. For example, he knew the blond would never get to sleep sitting in the front of that crappy Toyota, and he knew that he'd crawl into the back and lay down instead. They used to be friends, and perhaps sometimes, Sasuke missed that. But tonight was all about the pink haired police officer who had slapped him.

It wouldn't take long for Naruto to fall asleep in the back of the car, but Sasuke didn't want to risk him still being awake for this. He'd told him to turn the lights on and go to the window if he needed anything, not really thinking he would. But the baka was always so very naïve.

Sasuke stepped away from the window when he noticed someone leaving the car and moved toward his door. He wasn't desperate, not really, but there was something about this girl, and that part of his brain that didn't think stupid things was currently on a sabbatical. It could stay there and never come back as far as he was concerned.

The knock on the door came as a surprise however, and he glared through the eyehole in the wooden door, contemplating ignoring the person on the other side.

"Don't make me knock this door down."

Sasuke growled and flung it open. "Go away."

"Expecting someone?"

"No. I just don't want _you_ here."

Itachi just chuckled. "Of course you do. Who else would bother to stop you from making another one of your stupid mistakes?"

He pushed past him, over the threshold and turned to face him, his happy demeanour suddenly nowhere to be seen. "Of course I know who you wanted to be knocking at your door."

Sasuke was confused. "How?"

Itachi just shrugged. "Call it intuition."

"More like you're spying on me."

"Don't flatter yourself. I wouldn't waste my time."

"Then what are you doing here?"

Itachi frowned at him. "You're playing a dangerous game."

"Of course I am."

"And that's why you're doing it, I get it, you need to incur our father's wrath in order to get even a side glance from the man. Just make sure he doesn't use that glance to beat you down."

Sasuke snorted. The old man hadn't hit him since he was a kid, the day before he started ignoring him altogether. He wasn't sure which was worse. But this wasn't just about Fugaku, it was also about _him_ – about wanting a good fuck and deciding the pinkette would oblige. He always got what he wanted from a woman.

"He won't give me the satisfaction of knowing I got to him."

Itachi inhaled deeply and shook his head at him. "She isn't worth it, Sasuke. Let this go."

"No." Sasuke turned away from him now and gripped his apartment door (it was still open). "Don't make me call security," he snarled, when Itachi didn't move.

His brother wasn't surprised by the brush off and decided to leave before he said or did something they'd both regret. "Just be careful Sasuke. You may not believe it, but I really do have your best interest at heart."

"I know," Sasuke whispered so softly that his brother didn't hear him, and then slammed the door in his face.

Itachi just shook his head and strolled away. His otouto didn't seem to get it – he was putting the girl in a fire he couldn't possibly hope to control. Soon however, he was going to see the error of his ways… well, not soon, but _eventually_. He hoped. He always did start behaving when it was too late to change anything, let alone undo his mistakes.

Sasuke listened intently as his brother walked away, waiting for him to get off this floor impatiently. Why did the man have to be such an interfering _baka_? He waited a minute, trying to calm himself, but instead, growled loudly, grabbed a glass figurine off a nearby side table, and threw it against the wall. It broke apart on impact and he stared at the jagged edges of the broken pieces angrily. He was so distracted by the stupid thing that he didn't hear the first knock on his door this time. It wasn't Itachi again, was it? No, it had to be Sakura Haruno.

Sasuke took a deep breath and opened the door without making sure it was the pinkette. She narrowed her eyes at him and he swallowed heavily, feeling his pants tighten. It was time to relieve that particular _problem_.

He stepped aside and, against her better judgement, Sakura stepped into the room, her eyes darting around. He wondered what she was looking for, as she wasn't looking directly at him anymore. She had heard the shattering of glass and now noted the broken figurine. Someone was here, they _had_ to be: why else would he have gotten angry enough to break something?

"I thought I heard someone else in here," she said curiously.

"There's no-one here but us," he said, closing the door and blocking her as she realised what he was doing.

'_Great one Sakura,' _she told herself. She shouldn't have come up here. "Well clearly you don't actually _need_ anything, so I'll be going."

"Oh no, I don't think so."

"Uchiha, get out of my way." She swallowed heavily as he grabbed her wrists and her stupid reflexes were too slow to stop him. "Let me go."

"Sorry," he said, pushing her up against the wall. "But I have to pay you back for that slap you gave me. You're going to give me what I want, Officer _Haruno_."

He stroked her cheek, his eyes hard on hers. "Sa-ku-ra," he whispered, sending a shiver down her spine.

The slight trembling of her body did not go unnoticed by the arrogant Uchiha, and he smirked at her. She swallowed heavily, unable to wriggle out of his grip; her body simply refused to move. So that was how he managed to kiss her… her stupid _hormones_. His lips were on hers and she closed her eyes, forgetting that she wasn't supposed to be here, and opening her mouth to him. She didn't wrap her arms around him, she didn't move an inch, but the moan that escaped her mouth only served to drive him on and Sasuke gripped her waist fiercely as he pressed the hardness of his body against hers.

She was giving in, little by little, despite the warning bells now going off in her head, and just needed one more push. But Sasuke realised too late he should have slipped some kind of sleeping pill into Naruto's coffee or something because just as he was entertaining the idea of prying the pinkette off of the wall and throwing her onto his bed a loud, irritating voice sounded from the other side of his apartment door.

This served to knock some sense into Sakura and she broke the kiss, pushing the Uchiha away from herself. She was flushed and beet red when Naruto Uzumaki knocked down Sasuke's door.

"Get away from her you fucking inbred _teme_!"

**.:. -/ \- .:.**

The next day found Sakura with nothing to do but bury her face in her hands. She felt so ashamed, so _stupid_, and used. What was she thinking going up to the Uchiha's apartment _alone_? Now Jiraiya was bearing the brunt of the infamous Uchiha fury, and she didn't have the courage to storm in there and take full blame. She couldn't remember another time she'd felt this lame, not even in her early days of training, or her first case. She was so _stupid_!

And of course, there were fireworks. The matriarch of the Uchiha clan had just insulted the Superintendent General, implying impotence and recommending he step down from his position and hand it over to someone who actually _knew_ what they were doing. Jiraiya's response was extremely _colourful_, to say the least, and left the entire precinct hanging on every word. Nobody was doing their work, just listening to the obscenities coming from these respected figures hidden behind dry walls and a locked door. But Sakura on the other hand, was feeling more guilty with every obscenity screeching from that woman's mouth. They wouldn't be having this argument if she'd just woken Naruto up and hadn't gone up to Sasuke's apartment alone.

'_Stop dwelling,'_ she snapped at herself. But it was easier said than done.

And just like that, she remembered that Naruto was also in that room (for some reason, even _his_ voice had disappeared under the grating sounds of the matriarch and Superintendant General), and that he'd insisted on writing up the incident report, alone. After all, _she_ was a part of the incident in question. Her guilt deepened at that thought and just as she was taking a deep breath, two very familiar figures exited the nearby elevator drawing stares away from the feuding _adults_. It was Itachi Uchiha and… Sasuke. The older brother had his hand on his otouto's shoulder, steering him. This was why, upon spotting the pinkette, Sasuke made no move toward her. He wasn't smirking at her or anything either, but the _knowing_ look on that devilishly handsome face made her tremble slightly before they disappeared into Jiraiya's office.

Sakura wasn't sure what was going on. Was she being reprimanded or defended? Itachi wasn't yelling, but she could hear his voice as clear as day. Apparently, Sasuke had a thing for her and in the current climate, it was too dangerous to have him anywhere near her. He was blaming the entire affair on Sasuke, and she wondered for a moment what kind of brother did that. But she supposed he _was_ right. Sakura was stupid for going up there, but Sasuke had lured her under false pretences and attempted to seduce an officer of the law.

It sounded so _proper_, coming from Itachi. In a matter of seconds, the precinct started to bustle again, realising the real show was over.

"You're not being reprimanded," Kakashi Hatake said, coming out of nowhere and startling her.

She groaned. "Don't do that."

He chuckled, his face half hidden in shadow, as it always seemed to be these days. Did he find himself unattractive or something?

"I know you can look after yourself," he said, "and Jiraiya knows it too. Naruto, not so much. But my point is that this isn't about seeing some damsel in distress and wanting to be her knight in shining armour."

Sakura moved closer to him, leaning against the wall, but instead of looking up at him, she let her eyes survey the precinct solemnly. She knew he knew that she worried about that – ever since she'd met Kakashi, Jiraiya, Naruto, Tsunade, and even Ino, they often acted like she was made of crystal; so easy to break. But it was a moot point with Naruto, who would always treat her like she couldn't handle herself. Sakura had another concern right now.

"What are you talking about?" She asked.

Kakashi lowered his voice before responding. "There's a war coming. Everyone can feel it. Normally, the shit between the Sabaku and Uchiha is handled quietly, and without street fights or drive by shootings, but that's all about to change."

She glared at him. "How would _you_ know that, even if it were true?"

"It is true Sakura, it is." He sighed. "You're being reassigned because of Sasuke, and it's not just for your sake, though admittedly, that is the driving force behind Jiraiya's decision. It won't end well if you let him manipulate you again."

"You make me sound like an easy mark."

"I apologise. But Sakura," he said drawing her eyes away from Jiraiya's office door. "Sasuke clearly has a thing for you, and these are dangerous people Saks. No matter what, I would suggest you avoid him at all costs."

"Well, that's easy," she said, poking tongue at him. Really, she wasn't a child. "I'm being reassigned and therefore have no reason to be anywhere near him ever again."

"If you truly believe that, then–"

"You don't know anything about the Uchiha."

The interrupting voice was familiar, and Sakura inhaled sharply. She'd only ever seen Gaara Sabaku once before, and that was under the dim lights of a night club – the dance floor and a V.I.P room set up in the back where they'd had sex. She'd wondered how much nicer he'd look if she hadn't had a few to drink. She was not disappointed, looking up into that slightly amused face, those pale green eyes… her eyes raked over his hair, and down at what he was wearing – a polo shirt and jeans – and she wondered what he was doing here.

Gaara noted her assessment of his appearance, and smirked. He remembered her too, after all, pink hair wasn't something someone saw too often, and hers seemed natural.

"What are you doing here Sabaku?" Kakashi asked him.

Gaara stared back, his face unreadable. "I got lost on the road of life."

Kakashi chuckled. "Touché."

"You two know each other?" Sakura asked, as Kakashi kept smiling at the red head.

"He stole my first girlfriend," Gaara said. "Something about being in a band being cooler than having a motorcycle gang."

Sakura was confused. "How old were you?"

"I was eight."

"You had a motorcycle gang at eight?"

"And I got my first tattoo at six."

"But how–"

"He's winding you up Saks," Kakashi said, and Gaara chuckled.

She stared at him, trying to remember how much of his body she'd seen in that night club room. It wasn't like it'd come with a bed and a shower for after sex hygiene, and she remembered that she'd kept her dress on, not to mention she'd been pinned to the wall the whole time.

"_Do_ you have a tattoo?" She asked, genuinely interested.

"You don't remember?"

Sakura blushed and turned her face away as Kakashi stared at her.

"Sakura, when did you… uh, never mind, I don't want to know."

Gaara wouldn't let her off so easily however, and prodded her. "So you _do_ remember?"

She nodded silently, remembering the kanji on his chest suddenly and sighed, ignoring the curious stare Kakashi was shooting in her direction despite his desire _not_ to know. She would think it was pretty obvious. She was spared more of Gaara's ribbing when the door to the Superintendent General's office swung open.

Kakashi stood to attention upon noting the Uchiha. Sasuke was ignoring him, his eyes resting on Sakura instead. But even that didn't last once he noticed Gaara standing there, only inches from the pinkette and looking like a kid in a candy store. Sakura's face was still slightly blushed from Gaara's prodding and Sasuke was getting the right idea about what had just happened.

Pale green eyes met black as the two men stared at each other. But Sasuke kept walking, his mother's hand on his shoulder giving him no quarter to attack the Sabaku glaring daggers at him. Itachi followed in their wake, sparing Sakura and Gaara both curious glances before all three Uchiha disappeared into the elevator.

"Charming fellow," Kakashi said sarcastically as Naruto came bounding out next.

"You're wanted," he said to Sakura, who nodded and closed the door to Jiraiya's office behind herself.

Gaara watched her go. He'd been sniffing around the precinct to find out where Sasuke Uchiha was staying since the last time that brat had moved house. He had the perfect plan for his revenge lined up, but an even better one had just presented itself. He wanted the freak dead too, but it was too early for a direct attempt on the Uchiha's life, too early to avoid suspicions that he had something to do with it. Unlike _Sasuke_, he thought things through before he did them and had every intention of doing this the right way. Yes, the Uchiha would pay, and his obvious attraction to the pinkette was as good a place as any to begin his revenge.

.:. -/ \- .:.

+/_\+


	4. Lilies and Roses

**This is a strong GaaSaku chapter, but the SasuSaku is definitely still coming – everything in due time. Enjoy.**

**Dangerous Temptations**

**.:. -/ \- .:..**

**Lilies and Roses**

It had been almost five days since she'd slapped Sasuke Uchiha; four days since her shame of letting him manipulate her and six hours since she'd last had an argument with Jiraiya on the subject. Sakura Haruno was doing everything she could to avoid the youngest Uchiha, but sometimes she thought she caught him in her peripherals. Thursday nights were late night shopping and she'd allowed Ino Yamanaka to drag her through their weekly ritual of visiting every clothing store, trying on everything that caught their eye and ending the night at the Hyuuga mansion when Neji and his fiancé had the place to themselves. His father Hizashi always took his mother out once a week for the entire night, and Neji "borrowed" the mansion at his fiancé's suggestion, inviting their closest friends.

Tenten was the partier in that relationship.

Sakura took the opportunity to spend time with Hinata in one of the few places she could speak with the shy girl without worrying about Naruto being there – ever since Sasuke had gotten his claws into her, the blond refused to go anywhere near her. The pinkette lamented over that relationship: they had seemed so perfect for each other. And of course, Hinata was the one left alone in the rain, while Sasuke had clearly moved on, and Naruto pretended she'd never existed. This was yet another reason to steer clear of the Uchiha.

Sakura had decided therefore, to invite Hinata to come with her the following night… she had a date with Gaara Sabaku. Well, she'd agreed to visit his favourite night club with him – the one she had been dragged to by Ino, in which she'd ended up flat against the wall with the redhead ravishing her. She had thought it was just his favourite night club, but it turned out to be so much more – it was owned by his older brother, Kankuro. Gaara used to be a bouncer here once, before an altercation with a drunk in which said drunk had ended up in a coma.

The man was dangerous.

But this was the perfect opportunity for her; to forget the way Sasuke tasted, the fire he ignited inside of her, and to push the memory of his body pressed against hers out of her mind. She _needed_ to move on.

Gaara had put her name on the guest list, with room for more, so Sakura decided she would bring both Hinata and Ino along with her – the blond's objective was to get Hinata laid, and to take her mind off of Naruto. She was so depressing.

Ino was driving, which was another way for her to assert control, and it took almost an hour for them to find a parking spot.

"You better be on that guest list forehead," Ino barked as they piled out of her new Toyota Lexus. "I am _not_ standing around for hours when I don't need to."

"Yeah, yeah, pig. Link arms with Hinata before she gets away, will you?"

Hinata did indeed look like she was about to bolt. Ino did as she was told and pulled the girl in close. "I told you already, Naruto won't be here. Maybe tomorrow night – he seems to like Saturdays most. You're just going to have to hold your head high, saunter in there, and show everyone you're over him."

Hinata stammered as the blond pulled her along – Sakura leading the way. "All o-of who, I-Ino?"

"_Everyone_, Hinata."

Sakura ignored them as Hinata stuttered about not having to prove anything and strode confidently past the line outside the club. She'd never been on a guest list before, and this was going to be fun. She'd always envied those with close ties to people who owned or ran nightclubs, or even anyone with limited influence that extended to getting their names on said list. She wasn't some nightclub regular, which explained it, really. Being a cop made her overly cautious about the people she associated with, and if it wasn't for Ino, she would never have developed an interest in _this_ lifestyle – Naruto hadn't even been able to convince her, and he _did_ regularly club hop.

Being on the guest list also meant no cover charge.

"Name?" The bouncer grunted at her approach, his eyes flickering over Ino and then settling on Sakura – completely ignoring the obviously shy Hyuuga between them.

"Sakura Haruno," the pinkette said, "and guests."

It took him only a few seconds to locate her name, but before giving them permission to enter, he handed Sakura a small box – jewellery sized. "From Mr. Sabaku," he said. He nudged toward the entrance door. "In you go."

Fingering the small, ribboned box and ignoring Ino's smirk, Sakura nodded and looked up at the neon sign that broadcasted the name of the night club, as she entered: The Lazy Siren.

How had she forgotten _that_ name?

Cool night air was replaced by loud, reverberating explosions of sound and light.

"Later," Ino yelled into Sakura's ear. Hinata gave her a small pleading smile she knew would just be ignored, and was unceremoniously dragged away. Sakura moved toward the bar as she opened her box – a golden key and a small note, unsigned. It just said _'upstairs backroom'_. She scoffed slightly. Next thing he'd be dragging her into a cloakroom and professing his undying lust. She shook her head slightly and looked around. Through the crowd, she couldn't spot the back room she'd been in last time with the Sabaku, but there were two sets of stairs visible from her position. Airing on the side of caution, she asked the barman which was which, and then proceeded toward the stairs in the northern corner.

The beefy bouncer blocking her way took one look at her, his eyes flickered over her champagne coloured spaghetti strap dress before taking note of her uniquely coloured hair and grunted. "Haruno?" She nodded and he stepped aside. "Gaara's expecting you."

Feeling like a participant in a reality television show, Sakura climbed the stairs and unlocked the door at the end after knocking. Gaara looked good; his black suit was slim and expensive, yet clearly comfortable. She liked that his hair was slightly tousled – she hated the glossy look some rich guys had, as if it made them so much more unattainable by those "beneath" them. But the Sabaku family, despite their connections, riches and influence, were not your typical high society family. They liked the rough, dirty and hands on approach to life, work and pleasure.

"Gaara," she said, feeling slightly nervous all of a sudden.

He greeted her with a kiss, having strode over to her, gripped her harder than necessary and wasted no time in devouring her mouth. But he quickly pulled away – before she could – and breathlessly whispered her name as way of a verbal response to her greeting. He was making her giddy…

Sakura cleared her throat, noticing for the first time that the office they were in was overlooking the dancing clubbers downstairs. She let her eyes flicker over the room and settle on the centre. It seemed he was a flowers kind of guy.

"Lilies?" She asked.

"They're your favourite."

"How did you know?"

Gaara just smiled, a slight twitch in the corner of his mouth hinting that he was _damned_ proud of himself.

A sitting table sat in the middle of the room held their meal, which consisted of food she normally considered drool worthy. They sat down, now encircled by the petals of her favourite flowers – she liked every species of lily, from Lily of the Valley to Peace Lilies and her absolute favourite, Tiger Lilies – and a small bouquet sat in the middle of the table.

She felt like a spoilt child… the kind that got what they wanted whether they asked for it or not. Gaara had said something the other day about having dinner at his brother's nightclub, but she hadn't imagined he would research her favourite food and adorn the sitting area with her favourite flowers – he'd sent her a mixed bouquet of lilies over the past week but she hadn't thought too much of it.

Sakura couldn't figure him out, and where men were concerned, she wasn't as ignorant as Ino believed. She ran the possibilities in her head, why someone as notorious as Gaara would go to such lengths to impress her. He already knew how to get into her pants, so that scrapped that option. They hardly knew each other, so any feelings he had could only run so deep. And he was such a cheek that she had always had trouble picturing him as seriously romantic. Maybe she was underestimating him. Maybe he didn't want anything except the pleasure of her company.

Except he hated Sasuke and he'd heard the things Mikoto and Jiraiya had been shouting at each other. Not to mention that look Gaara and Sasuke had exchanged as the latter was led from the precinct. The redhead hadn't bothered to find her after their night in that side room, so why now…?

Sakura shook herself. She was here to enjoy herself, and would try to figure him out later. The three course meal consisted of syrup-coated dumplings, umeboshi, and anmitsu for dessert. It wasn't much more than finger food, but this wasn't a restaurant, so she let that go.

They drank, ate, and talked. Sakura didn't much feel like going back downstairs, not really wanting to run into Ino and introduce her to the redhead – she wanted these moments all to herself, just enjoying being with him. As she polished off her anmitsu, Gaara made another move on her; he kissed her, and she let him, he held her and she leant into his touch. He pulled her onto his lap and she lost herself to his embrace.

**.:. -/ \- .:.**

Over the next two weeks, Sakura would meet up with Ino and Hinata after her shifts a couple of times a week (she wanted to spend more time with the Hyuuga, so was basically avoiding Naruto… for now) and spend every Friday night and the weekend with Gaara Sabaku. He wanted to sleep with her, she wasn't so stupid as to not see that, but things were different this time. He was romancing her and she found herself willingly closing her eyes and just letting him lead her astray.

Her thoughts went to Sasuke more often than she cared to admit, despite the feel of Gaara's fingers entwining with hers, and in spite of their heated kisses. When she was with the redhead, she thought of the redhead, but once she got home and her mind was allowed to wander without distraction, fantasies of Sasuke crawling across her bed, naked and ready to pounce invaded her.

She saw him at the station every couple of days when he came in as a part of his mandatory check-ins (he didn't know how to stay out of trouble it seemed), but always made sure she was in the company of someone who wouldn't take his shit, like Naruto or Kakashi. So Sasuke would stare at her the entire time, but he couldn't do or say anything. And Gaara wasn't the only one leaving "presents". He wasn't allowed near her, but she hadn't taken out a restraining order, so Jiraiya had limited success in preventing the baskets of alcohol, chocolates, and roses that appeared via messenger or just "miraculously" outside her apartment door, sporadically over the course of the two weeks. There was always a card, and every time, the idiom was both heart warming and knee buckling.

Jiraiya was beside himself about how it kept happening, and she hated herself for it – Sakura loved receiving these gifts, as much as she loved the lilies and research into her favourite things that Gaara had made.

Was this the way it had been for Hinata, had he actually stalked her until she gave in? Sakura had been annoyed with the Hyuuga at first, when she'd cheated on Naruto, but the anger had quickly faded at the distraught expression on her friend's face. Now, even without Sasuke physically coming onto her, she was beginning to wonder if the man was some kind of magician. How else would he be able to draw women in like they were moths to his flame?

Three Fridays on from her first "date" with Gaara, Sakura arrived at The Lazy Siren without her friends and wasted no time in heading straight for the usual room – if nothing, she loved the view: it made her feel on top of the world. Anticipation drove her on and she locked the Sasuke in her head behind a door marked "save for later".

Sakura paused before opening the door upstairs, her eyes catching a set of dark orbs that had followed her every move from her entry and she frowned at the split second hint of raven hair. Was that Sasuke? She shook her head at the thought of the Uchiha following her into this night club. Wasn't he still banned?

Gaara was waiting for her as usual, but instead of waiting for him to offer her something to drink, Sakura embraced him, pulling him close and kissed him. It was just meant to be a 'hello' kiss, as she did sometimes; she could immediately taste the alcohol on his lips, and he gripped her tightly, ravaging her mouth remorselessly. He'd maintained his routine of draping lilies over her, occasionally sending mixed bouquets to her apartment, along with chocolate incentives. He was being patient with her – for an incorrigible flirt – and she forgot Sasuke's name as the redhead began to stroke her sternum, moving his fingers sensually along the valley between her breasts, exposed by the décolletage of her dress. Sakura moaned, and pressed into him as his hand went willing toward her left breast, slipping under the thin material to caress her skin. Her dress was slinky, with black with silver trimmings along the seams.

After a few minutes, Sakura pulled away breathlessly and licked her lips. "Hello to you too."

Gaara chuckled. "Would you like something to drink? Or we could just continue..?"

His gaze dropped to her chest and she hastily recovered herself.

"A drink would be nice," she said.

Yes, he was _definitely_ looking to sleep with her again. It had been weeks, and she decided, after getting something substantial into her system – she was suddenly nervous around him – he was going to get what he wanted. So Sakura accepted the wine, ate the food, and conversed on her opinions in his brother's new plans for the nightclub. She had yet to meet Kankuro, or the sister Gaara spoke of that was apparently a friend of Naruto's. She'd known him years ago, long before Sakura had met Naruto, and they hadn't spoken in awhile.

Staring out over the glass wall that separated her and Gaara from the sweaty crowd one floor down, Sakura's eyes were inevitably drawn to her shameless blond friend as Ino sauntered through the crowd and quickly found a brown haired guy she knew. Almost instantaneously, she was draped over the guy and giggling as he nuzzled her neck. Now, she knew that Ino was a flirt at the best of the times, but the way she was hanging onto that guy, moving with the music, one would think they were already lovers... she wouldn't be surprised.

Sakura checked her watch – she'd been in The Lazy Siren for going on an hour, so maybe she they had been here all along and already screwed the guy in one of the darker corners of the night club.

Sakura giggled, lifting the bottle in her hand to her lips. She was having trouble with some blurred vision so wasn't entirely sure on what beverage Gaara had given her – it was different from the wine she'd had at first, and she suddenly couldn't place it. He was watching her closely, his right hand caressing the skin just under the hem of her dress; rubbing circles along her inner thigh.

His eyes flickered to what had caught her attention – the blond he'd seen with her on occasion, called Ino, dancing with Kankuro. Gaara debated whether or not to tell Sakura that was Kankuro, _and_ he already had a girlfriend. But he wanted Matsuri out of his brother's life more than either of his siblings knew. Perhaps this Ino person, who was now dancing seductively with the brunette Sabaku entrepreneur, was exactly what Kankuro needed. So he decided to let things be and see how they went. It would be nice, he thought, to see Matsuri either explode in false jealousy or decide she didn't care and just move one. In the long run, that would be better for his brother.

Gaara waited a moment, and then pulled Sakura away from the glass wall, and out of sight of anyone down there looking up. He was done with the waiting and watching – it was time to take control. He pushed Sakura against the wall, noting the widening of her eyes and pressed against her. But she didn't fight him, she didn't even move as their eyes locked.

"I'm going to fuck you now," he said huskily, and slowly, she nodded in assent.

Gaara took his time however, stroking the tresses that had fallen to frame her face. He remembered their first time together and had subsequently found him thinking of her every so often, wondering if he'd ever see her again. She hadn't been back to the nightclub, and who would've thought someone with her… _vigour_, would turn out to be a cop. But that didn't bother him, he liked a challenge.

What _did_ bother him was the way the Uchiha had looked at her, in that "you belong to me" look the freak reserved for women he didn't just sleep with and discard. He was in for the long haul with this one – it meant she was as good as his.

'_Not if I can help it.'_

A gentle brush of his hand caught her hair, and she had to force herself not to reach up and tuck her hair behind her ear. Sakura kept her eyes on his, trying to stare Gaara down as he seemed to have decided to gaze dreamily at her. She didn't intimidate him anymore than she intimidated Sasuke, but at least the red head wasn't trying to undermine her self-control... right?

But she _wanted_ him to kiss her. He was going to fuck her, his right hand now returning to her chest, palming her breast as she inhaled sharply – he'd pinched her nipple. He smirked slightly before lowering his head and crashing his mouth to hers. There was no battle of dominance with their tongues – he was taking control without a fight. There was no gentle consideration as, in typical Sabaku style, Gaara bit her lip before moving his mouth away from hers. Sakura debated this for a moment, the deliriously warm sensation of Gaara's mouth on her pulse point snapping her back to him. His erection was pressed against her and she coiled a leg around his waist as he lifted her off of the wall and laid her onto the nearby couch, hovering over her.

Sakura took the initiative and removed his light dinner jacket, quickly doing away with the rest of his clothes as he undid the ties on her dress. He was being careful with the dress, not wanting to rip it, but the moment she was naked underneath him, he wasted no more time.

He parted her legs, returning his lips to hers as he thrust his fingers into her wet heat. His thumb pressed her nub, the pressure building until she came. She was reminded strongly of their encounter in that night club and gripped tighter to his shoulders. She just wanted to forget that stupid Uchiha, if only for one night, for one moment. And she already knew Gaara was _good_.

Gaara removed his fingers, licked her juices, and smirked down at her. She was ready, he was hard, and he _needed_ this. He slammed into her without warning and she screamed; her knees rose instinctively as she bucked against him. He was ruthless, giving her no time to adjust and maintaining a torturous pace. She growled as he shifted his angle on her and Sakura closed her eyes, throwing her head back as she let herself drown in the moment. She hadn't needed to fantasize about what he was like, she hadn't needed to wonder how big he was, what got him riled up. And as he whispered his dirty thoughts huskily to her, she lost the will to care anymore about anything but that sweet, _hot_ release and her own pleasure.

**.:. -/ \- .:.**

+/_\+


	5. The Oncoming Storm

**The answer to the questions about Hinata sleeping with Sasuke: I only hinted to it in the first chapter, without naming her at the time. It was never intended to be a huge deal in that chapter, or the previous one, so I apologise for any confusion. It's better explained in this chapter anyway. Enjoy.**

**Dangerous Temptations**

**.:. -/ \- .:..**

**The Oncoming Storm**

Sakura Haruno had never been a morning person. She hated the sun, the cheery sounds of her next door neighbours (who were _always_ noisy in the morning) and the impressions made upon her person as she woke up. Sleep never lasted long enough to satiate her and patience in all things was never her thing. Her upbringing had been hard, and even as a child, she hadn't exactly revelled in the frivolity that came naturally to other children.

This was why it had never crossed her mind to find love, settle down, and become some overbearing man's dutiful house wife. People who tried to push her around didn't last long anyway. And once she got something she thought she wanted, it all seemed to go downhill from there.

She woke slowly, still groggy with mixed sensations of nausea and light-headedness. Sakura groaned softly, her body feeling like it weighed a tonne. She managed to lift her left arm up, draping it across her forehead, only then becoming aware of the cold sweat engulfing her body.

This wasn't her bed, and she wasn't wearing any clothes.

'_I don't remember getting drunk.'_

That was how she felt – like she'd overdone it after one of Ino's peer pressured binges.

It took her a few minutes to realise she wasn't alone. The warm body next to her had let go of her in the middle of the night, and she wasn't sure if she should be grateful about that or not. Sakura's eyes flickered over the naked form of Gaara Sabaku, covered only in a single bed sheet and from the waist down. He looked so peaceful, his face having dropped the normally apathetic expression and replaced by something more like a man who'd just won the lottery.

She rolled over to face him, thinking about her morning after jitters. Her stomach was doing somersaults and she wasn't sure if she wanted to be around when Gaara woke up, let alone have _that_ conversation with him. She liked him – she really _did_ – but the confusion of the last two weeks over him and Sasuke in her mind had built up, and she had mistakenly thought that sleeping with the less aggravating of the two would help her decide what to do with them. If anything, it had only confused her more.

Making a decision, she carefully rolled away from Gaara and looked around for her clothes. They'd started in the upstairs room of The Lazy Siren, and moved into a smaller, adjoining room that looked like someone spent a lot of time here. The club belonged to Gaara's brother, so she surmised _he_ was the one who spent inordinate amounts of time in this makeshift bedroom; the furniture and connecting bathroom were decorated with miscellaneous photos and memorabilia.

Sakura resisted the urge to groan, holding a hand to her forehead as the world around her threatened to spin out of control. Taking a few deep breaths, she quickly shifted off the bed, tiptoeing as Gaara growled softly and collected her things. She dressed like a woman possessed, only stopping a moment later to be sure that the red head was still asleep.

Gaara stirred as she hesitated, waiting to see if she'd really woken him up. A soft snore and several moans of her name later, and he rolled over, hugging a stray pillow and dreaming again.

She smiled at that, the sight and sounds of his reverie making her want to jump back on the bed and wake him up the fun way. But Sakura couldn't bring herself to face him – she felt ashamed, like she'd used him. Even though she knew he wasn't going to be happy, waking up alone, she left anyway, taking what she assumed was the back way out and thankfully, without drawing the attention of several burly looking security guards who were also nursing hangovers.

She needed time to sort out the mess she'd gotten herself into.

**.:. -/ \- .:.**

It was closer to midday when Sakura finally dragged herself into work the following Monday. After repeatedly ignoring Gaara's attempts to talk to her, she had spent all Sunday night discussing her situation with Hinata and Ino (the blonde had been "unavailable" Saturday night, and she was getting the sneaking suspicion that Ino was actually _dating_ someone).

Sakura shrugged off her jacket as she looked around the precinct – it was raining outside and there weren't many in the station today (a surprising amount of stomach bugs). Her own duties were rather lax right now: it was like the entire force was just fading away. Jiraiya had her go over some case files right away, telling her that Naruto was working with Shikamaru Nara today, because she'd been late. With it pouring down outside, she didn't care to leave the warmth of the office anyway, and was more than happy to wile the day away with paperwork.

So she buckled down, her mind drifting to her "talk" with Hinata and Ino the previous night – getting drunk before telling all had of course, been the blond's idea.

Hinata's recounting of her experience with Sasuke (something Sakura hadn't wanted to know about until now) was enlightening. The man was nothing if not persistent, and had had the Hyuuga followed around, twenty-four seven to figure out where she went when not with Naruto. He'd put a lot of thought into her seduction, but Hinata was candid enough about the sex to the point that Sakura wasn't sure whether to run screaming for the hills or thank her lucky stars.

But Hinata had murmured Naruto's name instead of the Uchiha's – apparently, that was a turn on for Sasuke, hearing another man's name during coitus. Ino's theory was that because he was deliberately "stealing" her away from Naruto, knowing she was still thinking of the knucklehead made his victory over her body at least, all the more pleasurable.

She kind of had a twisted point.

Sakura had slept with attractive men who were lame in bed, so she understood the allure for someone like Sasuke or Gaara, who were apparently _both_ well versed in the workings of the female body. It made her anxious about the Uchiha and her own confessions to both Hinata and Ino about sleeping with Gaara and daydreaming about Sasuke elicited only pitying looks from the two of them.

She _hated_ being pitied.

Sakura gave a small yelp when she realised she'd collided with someone in the hallway outside the records room – the stupid place was a maze unless a person spent every waking hour in here. She was supposed to be looking up some two year old cold case for Jiraiya, in the faint hopes of reopening it again, but now had more _pressing_ concerns.

Sasuke Uchiha was not a quitter; he'd been following the pinkette long enough to know she hadn't been into the station early this morning like she was supposed to be. This floor was restricted, so he'd paid off that stupid mole of his father's to get a one-time security access card to ambush Sakura where she wouldn't be surrounded by her personal security – both Kakashi Hatake and Naruto Uzumaki were taking it in turns without her realising she was being "looked after".

He was persistent.

Sakura inhaled sharply, dropping the box of papers in her hands and moving immediately to wriggle out of Sasuke's grip. She was well versed in the Gendai jujutsu that was required to know in the police force, not to mention several other jujutsu techniques taught to her by Naruto over the years she'd known him; she didn't seem to remember any of that right now. Her mind and sensibilities left her the moment Sasuke's hands went to her hips and he licked his lips; his eyes trained on hers, but she had no doubt he was checking her out.

Sakura grunted though, trying to salvage whatever dignity she had left. "Let me go."

"In a minute," he said evenly. "I want a word with you."

"Go fuck yourself," she said hoarsely. "That's three words: all yours. Now let me go!"

He was making her angrier with every second, despite her physical reaction to him; it was so different from the effect that Gaara had on her. This wasn't surprising, as they each had different ways of approaching her. Gaara took the gentle, but prodding angle, while Sasuke seemed fond of manhandling her – was it wrong that she enjoyed _both_?

Sasuke chuckled. "I can't believe I've ignored you for so long," he pushed her backwards, against the wire enclosure that separated the records room from the adjoining hallway, and she let out a yelp of surprise.

"_Uchiha_," she growled.

"Yeah, yeah, I know: let me go." He smirked. "Like I said – in a minute. I need to know something first."

Surprised, Sakura stopped fighting him, giving him the attention he craved.

"I heard you were spending time with the Sabaku," he said, lowering his face to hers as she squirmed again.

"It's none of your business," she said.

Sasuke shook his head. "That's where you're wrong – there's a war coming, and if you take his side, things are going to get _very_ unpleasant for you."

She shivered involuntarily.

Kakashi had told her the same thing – well, the part about the war. He'd also warned her away from Sasuke. Sakura frowned at the Uchiha in question, wondering what it all meant. The two families were always butting heads, but when _exactly_ had this blood feud escalated into something that could resemble a war?

And better yet, who cared?

"I'm not part of this stupid war," she snapped, forcing more venom into her voice than she normally would have. She needed to get away from him, _now_.

He just shrugged, finally pulling away from the wall and staring at her thoughtfully. His mind was in overdrive, wondering if she had feelings for the youngest Sabaku – it would seriously hamper _his_ intentions with her. He let a ghost of a smirk grace his features as she continued to look overwhelmed in his presence.

"Sorry _hime_," he said, tracing the edge of her hair gently. "You have no say in the matter."

Sakura pushed him away violently (he let her) and ran – Jiraiya would just have to forgive her for ditching work. The world was going insane and she wanted nothing to do with it.

**.:. -/ \- .:.**

There was so much paperwork to wade through that he didn't know where to start. Itachi Uchiha was about to take over the family business, having finally convinced his father that it was struggling due to Fugaku taking off so much time with his "extracurricular activities". It was a pleasant way to categorise their black market dealings. He didn't agree with the more insidious deals and surprisingly, his father was giving him the opportunity to find more legal ways of dealing with some of their competitors without losing a substantial amount of money.

It took him four hours of sorting through the tax returns and overseas distributing figures to figure out _why_ Fugaku was suddenly so keen to do the right thing – they were being investigated by foreign law enforcement agencies. He wasn't sure whether or not to be surprised at this; their mole in the Tokyo Police Department kept them off the local radar, but it made sense that they would eventually draw international, unwanted attention.

The only family more corrupt than theirs was the Sabaku. But, he supposed, they thought the same thing about the Uchiha. He had to agree with both sentiments.

But it didn't help him – he wanted _out_. Sasuke was embracing it, listening to every word out of Fugaku's mouth, but Itachi knew it was just about that pink haired cop to him – he hadn't been overly interested in the workings of Uchiha Industries unless it got him between the legs of some pretty daughter of their father's associates. He'd been working as a Junior Executive in order to "earn" his many indulgences after the last time he'd almost ended up in jail – the Junior Executive title was just a fancy way of saying he was tasked with overseeing one of their smaller initiatives in the Tokyo area (nothing even he could screw up, fortunately).

But it was only recently that Sasuke had asked Fugaku for more responsibility – it gave him more direct access to their connections as a result – just enough that he'd be able to keep tabs on Sakura Haruno without drawing attention.

He was definitely up to something _more_ with this particular "skirt".

Itachi sighed, noting there was one more pile of paperwork for him to look over. At first, it didn't look any different from the rest of them – sign for this, requisition this…

But upon realising he must have subconsciously skipped over the less "official" documents, he notice one last "urgent" mandate, straight from Fugaku himself; the document glared up at Itachi as he frowned down at it.

There was no doubt that he loathed violence, leaving the dirtier aspects of running a global criminal organisation to his father, while trying to find a way around the entire thing. The Sabaku family hated the Uchiha, and Sasuke's recent actions had brought to light the loathing the youngest members of their respective main families had for each other.

And for his father to leave _this_ in his hands was further proof of both the man's ignorance of how he worked, and the seriousness of this soon to be open war. Itachi had no doubt Hameru Sabaku had a similar one for Sasuke, and this idiotic hostility between their families was grating on his patience.

Itachi sighed, wishing he could just burn the documentation and be done with it: it was a kill order for Gaara Sabaku.

**.:. -/ \- .:.**

Gaara had woken up Saturday morning alone, surprised by the lack of a warm body beside him. Had he done something to piss Sakura off? Traditionally (if anyone), it was supposed to be the guy who left quickly and quietly after having sex. She hadn't struck him as the kind of woman who would use someone for their body and then just move on.

That was why he needed answers ‒ and _fast_.

The Sabaku family was gearing up for war, since Fugaku had made it clear he was taking their usual disagreements that extra step further – over the weekend, his brother's night club, not to mention several other establishments owned by members of their family, had been broken into. There was no doubt it had been the Uchiha, and Hameru Sabaku was calling in a few favours with gunrunners from Moscow ‒ the capital of the Russian Federation was home to their main _hardware_ import.

He had no doubt the Uchiha's were doing the same with their own contacts: it was going to get ugly. The city of Tokyo was corrupt, and it was about to turn around and bite the National Public Safety Commission in the arse.

But in the calm before the storm, Gaara wanted to find out what was going on in that head of Sakura's. He'd been in board meetings most of the weekend, so it wasn't until Tuesday afternoon – after she'd finished her shift at the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department (she had mysteriously "disappeared" the day before). He cornered her outside the main entrance, but still hadn't decided what he was going to say.

She looked terrified to see him, biting her bottom lip nervously as he glanced at her, still debating that he'd done something wrong. The rain was coming down hard, just like it had the day before, and by the looks of it, the headquarters of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department was almost like a ghost town. This should've surprised him, but didn't – they were well aware of the coming hostilities and this only showed him that preparations to intervene were going on outside of public view.

The pinkette wasn't corrupt… it was just another reason why he trusted her.

The seconds ticked by and finally, Sakura had had enough of the silence.

"I'm sorry," she blurted out, hugging herself despite the thick jacket she was wearing.

They were standing under an awning and even without direct rain, a cold wind was making it was freezing cold. Gaara had initially offered his jacket to her but she dismissed the move, not wanting to take his only source of heat – standing a good four feet apart, they were embracing the cliché "after morning" conversation four days too late. This only made her all the more nervous, so Sakura decided to break the ice, figuratively speaking.

"For sleeping with me?" He asked, worried that was what she meant.

Sakura shook her head. "No, for running out: I owe you an explanation, but can we move this to somewhere more comfortable, and preferably with a central heating system?"

Gaara chuckled, his fear washing off of him. He let out a ragged breath, remembering he'd wanted to woo Sakura to piss off Sasuke – but this went beyond that idiot. He wanted Sakura for himself, for less disgraceful reasons.

"There's a coffee shop down the block," Sakura suggested. "I go there in my lunch breaks sometimes."

Gaara nodded. "Lead the way."

He had no idea what shop she was talking about anyway.

It turned out to be a little French place with pastries as well as what looked like every known coffee and tea known to man. _Le __Désirer_. It was definitely fitting. Sakura glanced at the name of the shop and smiled at Gaara as they sat down.

"I think it's actually talking about a desire for food," she said cheekily.

"What else is there?" He asked, returning her smirk.

Their smiles quickly faded as the waitress took their orders – just coffee. Sakura fingered the edge of the table nervously.

"I-I wanted to stay," she said lamely. "You see, I haven't been honest with you."

She bit her bottom lip, remaining silent until after the waitress had brought their drinks. She took a sip of her latte and inhaled deeply, enjoying the taste. And she told him about how Sasuke had been sending her gifts, the way he _looked_ at her when he came into the station for his mandatory check-ins. She couldn't stop the outflow of information, telling Gaara everything from the moment she and Naruto had escorted Sasuke home – the slap, the way he'd tricked her, and the fact that despite his behaviour, she still hadn't gotten a restraining order out on him like Jiraiya had counselled her to.

Gaara remained thoughtfully quiet after she fell silent, debating on how to respond. He had his own secrets regarding what was happening between her and the Uchiha, and the imminent war with that family – but there was no way he was about to confess that his father wanted Sasuke (the whole lot of them really) _dead_. Instead, he went for the question that was causing his heart rate to accelerate in fear again.

"Do you have feelings for him?"

"Sorry?"

"I asked you if you have feelings for Sasuke Uchiha."

Sakura swallowed heavily, placing her drink down on the table carefully, not able to look up into those haunting aquamarine eyes of his.

'_Aquamarine is a light blue/green colour,'_ she thought absentmindedly. _'A soft, pupil-less glance of glassy, blue/green eyes and a body to die for…'_

She shivered.

"Sakura." Gaara ran his forefinger under her chin before lifting her head to stare into those emerald eyes of hers. "Answer my question. Do you want to be with Sasuke Uchiha?"

**.:. -/ \- .:.**

+/_\+


End file.
